Page 28 - Food&Drink Magazine October 2018

PLANT DESIGN & FITOUT
‘Free from’ moves up a level
When French-style bakery Bakers Maison designed a new purpose-built facility, it dedicated an entire floor to gluten-free production.
✷ ON DISPLAY MUFFINS ROLLOUT
Bakers Maison says it has established a strong following for its gluten-free products over many years and regularly receives compliments about the range, which includes a white bread loaf – the best-selling product in the range, a multigrain loaf, a sourdough loaf, and white rolls.
The company has now just added a new muffin line that differs from other Bakers Maison products as it comes in branded boxes of six units. This allows café owners to display the muffins on counters as an add-on purchase.
The muffins come in Chocolate Chip and Raspberry Crumble varieties, and provide new options for people who are used to feeling excluded, Bakers Maison’s national sales manager Doug Colville says.
“It is powerful to know that we can provide them with options for nutrition and sustenance, but also variety and joy. After all, bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures,” he says.
“We are waving the flag for the gluten-free market and giving café owners an avenue to increase revenue for a very specific group.”
A growing number of Australians diagnosed with Coeliac disease and gluten intolerances in mind, Bakers Maison, a French-style bakery that provides par- and fully- baked frozen products to cafes, pubs, clubs, restaurants and caterers around Australia, was the impetus behind the design and fitout of a whole new bakery facility.
After purchasing the vacant land next door to its Revesby bakery, the company built a new facility that included an entire purpose-built floor dedicated to gluten-free production which enables its products to be certified by Coeliac Australia.
According to Bakers Maison, it has never been more important to deliver safe and reliable gluten-free products that meet the stringent expectations of an increasingly food-focused society. One in 70 Australians are affected by Coeliac disease, but approximately 80 per cent of them remain undiagnosed, according to Coeliac Australia.
In the new facility, which was opened in October last year, all gluten-free ingredients are stored separately in order to prevent cross-contamination and the finished product is
completely sealed before being dispatched in order to ensure its safety.
Gluten-free products comprise approximately seven per cent of the entire Bakers Maison range. Another floor in the new facility hosts croissant production, and the underground level contains a 35-space carpark, a rare find in suburban Revesby, according to the bakery company.
Bakers Maison says that by bringing its gluten-free manufacturing inhouse, it became much easier to manage staffing and consistency, as well as the logistics of shipping around Australia.
While the method of production is very similar to regular products, staff are specially trained about ingredient selection and storage in order to maintain safety for the gluten-intolerant customers.
maintaining a separate gluten-free environment as an ongoing standard.
This is achieved by ensuring there is no cross contamination and only gluten-free ingredients are used within the gluten-free section.
Bakers Maison takes its Coeliac certification seriously, but one area of concern beyond its control is the potential cross-contamination by unknowing customers. Cafes that toast gluten-free bread in the mainstream toaster or handle all products with the same tongs pose a threat to people with gluten intolerances or allergies, and the company is currently trying to educate customers about it.
While the number of Australians diagnosed with gluten-related disorders continues to rise, there is a very real need to provide quality
“ We are waving the flag for the gluten-free market and giving café owners an avenue to increase revenue for a very specific group.”
A dedicated gluten-free production manager is responsible for overseeing the gluten-free bakery and ensuring there is no cross-contamination.
The manager is also highly knowledgeable about the regulations involved in establishing and running a facility that is reliant upon safety standards in order to keep people safe and healthy.
“We take the responsibility of producing gluten-free products very seriously as we appreciate the danger that gluten can present to some people,” national sales manager Doug Colville says.
To retain the certification, regular testing of both existing and new is required, alongside the responsibility of
products to a market that has otherwise been made to endure low-quality substitutes for too long, according to the baker.
While many other bakery companies have opted not to enter the market based on the expensive capital outlay and small captive market, Bakers Maison says it is a challenge that it has tackled with gusto.
“We receive so many calls from people who have tried our products in a café or hospital and want to know where they can buy them. Unfortunately, our main market is providing goods to foodservice, but it is so gratifying to know that we can deliver something of such high quality that people are actively looking for,” Colville says. ✷
28 | Food&Drink business | October 2018 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au